Tag Archives: technology

Don’t Spy On Me

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Feds Deny Plan to Monitor Internet
Cybersecurity program, still in draft form, may call for greater surveillance online.
By Scarlet Pruitt

“A representative for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has denied a report that the U.S. government plans to release a proposal requiring ISPs to help build a centralized system designed to monitor Internet use.”

Yes, You Are Being Watched
At home and in the office–and everywhere in between–you could be under legal digital surveillance.
By Stephen Lawson

“If you’re feeling fenced in some day, you may decide to take a trip to your favorite gambling mecca, where anything goes.”

“Before you leave, you may want to tell your friends, and while you’re at it, let them know what you’ve been doing lately. Depending on where you are, and whether what you do sounds suspicious, the government may read that e-mail. “

Data-Mining of Citizens Stalled
Senate asks balance in Total Information Awareness program that cross-references personal data.
By Kyle Stock

“WASHINGTON–The government’s capacity to mine public and private databases for information on citizens has hit the brakes, by vote of the U.S. Senate.”

Critics Say Security Laws Sacrifice Civil Liberties
Homeland Security Act’s guidelines are too loose on the disclosure of online communications, some experts say.
By Paul Roberts

“Civil Libertarians are in a dither again, this time over new disclosure provisions for Internet service providers that are contained within the recently signed Homeland Security Act.”

Would Orwell Feel at Home?
ACLU report claims post-9/11 surveillance technology is alarmingly eroding privacy.
By Scarlet Pruitt

“The Orwellian vision of a ‘surveillance society,’ where the government peeks over everyone’s shoulder and chances to hide are scant, is coming dangerously close to reality, according to a report released by the American Civil Liberties Union this week.”

Senate Blocks Funding for Pentagon Database
By Susan Cornwell

“WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Saying they feared government snooping against ordinary Americans, U.S. senators voted on Thursday to block funding for a Pentagon (news – web sites) computer project that would scour databases for terrorist threats.”

Snooping Spooks

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I’m starting to hear the theme from Jaws in my head.

CIA Wins Control of Terrorist Data Mining Program
By Roy Mark

The White House released additional details Wednesday about President Bush’s new initiative to create a data mining Terrorist Threat Integration Center under the direction of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to close the “seam” between analysis of foreign and domestic intelligence on terrorism.

The center will have access to all intelligence information from raw reports to finished analytic assessments available to the government.

Somebody’s Watching Me

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Feds Get New Snooping Powers
Surveillance court grants greater scope in search of terrorist activity; privacy issues raised.
Scarlet Pruitt

“A secret U.S. federal appeals court has granted law enforcement officials expanded domestic spying powers, allowing them to conduct a broad range of electronic surveillance including Internet monitoring and keystroke logging to track terrorism suspects.”

The decision, released earlier this week, overturned a previous ruling by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) last May. That decision rejected the U.S. government’s efforts to expand its domestic snooping authority.

Secret U.S. court OKs electronic spying
By Declan McCullagh

“update WASHINGTON–A secretive federal court on Monday granted police broad authority to monitor Internet use, record keystrokes and employ other surveillance methods against terror and espionage suspects.”

In an unexpected and near-complete victory for law enforcement, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review overturned a lower court’s decision and said that Attorney General John Ashcroft’s request for new powers was reasonable.

Security Blanket

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"The natural progress of things is for government to gain ground and for liberty to yield."

"Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one."

"When the government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."

– Thomas Jefferson

Fighting Terrorism Without Sacrificing Privacy
People submit to invasive technology because it makes them feel safer, but that’s all it’s doing, security expert says.
By Nancy Weil

"LAS VEGAS — In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks people have been willing to accept invasive technological measures officials contend are being used to thwart terrorism not because those technologies will actually accomplish that goal–because they won’t–but because they help us feel safer, author and lawyer Jeffrey Rosen said here Tuesday."

Ministry of Information (MiniInf)

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Stop the Government Plan to Mine our Privacy

Recent media reports have revealed that a little-known Defense Department office is developing a computer system called “Total Information Awareness” that threatens to turn us all into “suspects” without proof of criminal wrongdoing.

Not only do Big Brother warning alarms go off with this one, but a few others as well. I’m no Masonic conspiracy nut, but the logo for the Information Awareness Office freaked me out.